Can someone Show me how to keep a proper dope sheet?
What data is Essential; wind, load, time of day, location, range, temp?
What should it look like?
What is proper format to keep it professional and easy to use?
Little known facts (like, no one is ever allowed to look at your dope sheet...I dunno, just guessing)?

Pistol/Revolver shooting is a bit different then rifle shooting, but at the same time they are the same.

Each time you practice, plot the hits. Every now and then draw on the plotting sheet, from 12 to 6 and from 3 to 9. You'll have 4 quarters. On each sheet, count the number of hits in each quarter. It doesn't matter the size of the group, what matters in the hits in each quarter. If you don't have the same number of hits per quarter, your zero is off. Adjust accordingly.

Thats why Calling your shots is so critical. Be honest with your self, cheating on a data card will hurt you in the field.

Kalgalath
With a 44 Magnum Hunting Revolver, you will probably be the variable as much as your equipment, and weather conditions.

I hunt with a 480 Ruger Super RedHawk. I use a 30mm UltraDot optical sight.

I normally leave my 480 resting in the gun safe till I am getting close to Deer Season, then I get it out for some practice. I shoot handguns a lot year round, however I do not bench shoot handguns for accuracy till I am getting ready to hunt.

I see my accuracy improving with Trigger Time behind the gun.

The Dope Sheet for a 44 Magnum Hunting Revolver??

First you will need to track Velocity, which will be changing with Temperature, and Air Density. So you will need a Chronograph.

You will also need Local Weather Information. A good Pocket Weather Instrument would be best. It will also let you track wind speed, and direction.

You will need to be shooting the same ammunition so that the information you are putting together means something when you are done.

If you are shooting at multiple locations you will need to track Altitude, as this makes a difference.

With a 44 Magnum Revolver you will probably need to be shooting at your maximum range for velocity variations to be noticeable on paper. That would be 100 yards on out.

After tracking this information for a year. My guess is you will have discovered that you cannot shoot a 44 Magnum Revolver in small enough groups for the information you put together to mean much.
If you are driving tacks with the 44 Magnum, and shooting it a great deal. And leave the sight settings alone through out the year of shooting.
You may have discovered that you are shooting groups 2" lower in Blue Cold at 100 yards, than in the Hot Summer Months.

What this means is if you are using a scope that adjusts in Minutes, it will normally have 1/4 Minute adjustments. Each 1/4 MOA adjustment will move impact 1/4" at 100 yards.

A scope that adjusts in MIL's will have 1/10 Mil adjustments at 100 yards.
This means each 1/10 mil adjustment will move bullet impact .36 inches at 100 yards. One Tenth of 3.6 Inches is .36

Scope adjustments are calculated at 100 yards normally. A scope adjustment of 1 Minute of Angle will be approximately 1 Inch at 100 yards. It will be 2 Inches at 200 yards, 3 Inches at 300 yards, etc

The reason to know this is to calculate scope adjustments. Say you are shooting at 400 yards, and you are shooting 8 Inches low.
You Divide the 8 Inches low by 4 (400 Yards) and you get 2.
This tells you that a 2 Minute UP adjustment on your scope will bring the impact up 8 Inches at 400 yards, putting you on target.

Just guessing that you might not have known this.

Chronograph Information:

Average (Mean) Velocity:
This is the average of all shots fired. Add up all velocity Numbers and Divide by the number of shots = Average velocity

Extreme Spread:
This is simply the velocity difference between the Fastest Velocity and The Slowest. Say you have a Fastest Velocity of 1236 FPS and a slowest velocity of 1198 FPS. 1236 Minus 1198 = 38 FPS Extreme Spread.

Standard Deviatioin:
Using the Average Velocity figure from above. The SD will be the difference between Average and the Highest or Lowest Velocity reading.

Kraig and I have both worked with long range tactical rifles a great deal. I have never tracked data on a hunting handgun, and I suspect Kraig has not either. Keep us posted on your progress, we might learn something new.

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